UNIT 2

Media and Types of communication

2.1 Media and Types of communication

Media

Media is the means of transmitting the messages from sender to the receiver. The media of oral communication are face to face conversation, telephone or mobile, conference, meetings etc. The media of written communication are newspaper, letter, report, memo, mail etc.

The prime task of media planners is to effectively communicate advertising message to a target audience through appropriate media channels. Media planners required to

• Keep up with latest media trends
• Keep up with new technological developments
• Determine long term and short term effects of different media
• Analyze strength and weakness of different media

Media are classified into four types

• Print media (newspaper, magazines)
• Broadcast media (TV, radio)
• Outdoor media
• Internet

Types of communication

1. Area of Operation:

(i) Internal Communication: 

‘Internal Communication’ can be described as a process of communication made within the organisation between the superiors and subordinates or between peer persons or between two or more groups. It may be formal or informal, oral or written. It can flow upward, downward or horizontal as per requirement.

The oral means of internal communication are face-to-face discussion, verbal instruction, message, telephone, intercom, meeting, conference or seminar, speech, etc. The written methods include notice, circular, memo, report, chart or graph, bulletin, e-mail, fax, etc.

(ii) External Communication:

A business organisation has to communicate with the external agencies like customers, suppliers, investors, other business houses, banks, insurance companies, government offices, etc. Such communication could be defined as ‘External Communication’ as its area of operation is with the people outside the organisation.

International business organisations got to communicate with foreign individuals, government agencies/organisations, etc. Oral external communication is formed through face-to-face discussion, meeting, conference, seminar, telephone, speech, etc. The written process includes notice, letter, telegram, report, e-mail, advertisement, fax, handout, etc.

2. According to Relationship:

(i) Formal Communication:

‘Formal Communication’ is the transmission of knowledge or directions in formal organisation structure. Formal communication maintains superior-subordinate relationship. When a manager directs his deputy manager to carry out some task, it's an instance of formal communication. Formal communication directs the workers in a definite manner to understand what the managers intend them to do and is usually codified and expressed in writing in manuals, handbooks, bulletins, annual reports, etc. So, it's rigid and thus lacks the quality of flexibility.

(ii) Informal Communication:

‘Informal Communication’ refers to the communication between the members of an informal social group or individuals —not on the premise of formal relationships within the organisational structure but on the premise of informal relations and understanding among the people at an equivalent or different level. it's mentioned as the ‘grapevine’ which indicates informal means of circulating information or gossip. It doesn't follow any structural route or process. It moves towards any direction. it's direct, spontaneous, flexible, unplanned, and fast-flowing.

3. According to Direction:

In a corporate structure, formal communication follows a hierarchical organization. Data can stream in four ways in an association: downward, upward, horizontally, and diagonally. The size, nature, and structure of the organization decides how and in which direction the information will flow. In more settled and conventional organizations, a great part of the correspondence streams in a vertical—downward and upward—heading. In informal firms, generally the information will flow horizontally and diagonally. This, obviously, is an element of the practically flat hierarchical progressive system.

Informal correspondences, for example, those conveyed in the organizational grapevine, show up in the both kinds of organizations.

1. Vertical Communication Flows

• Downward Communication Flows: Downward correspondence is when organization's managers and administrators share information with lower-level employees. In most cases the information transferred in a downward direction does not require a response. An instance might be a declaration of another CEO or notice of a merger with a different firm. Different types of higher-level downward communication incorporate speeches, web journals, digital broadcasts, and recordings. The most widely recognized ways of downward communication are daily mandates of office managers or line administrators to employees. These can even be in the form of instruction manuals or organization handbooks.

Downward correspondence conveys information that assists with notifying the workforce about key authoritative changes, new objectives, or procedures; give performance feedback at the hierarchical level; organize activities; present an official policy; or improve employee morale of consumer relations.

• Upward Communication Flows: Data moving from lower-level employees to elevated level representatives is upward communication (also known as vertical communication). For instance, upward communication happens when employees report to an administrator or when team leaders report to an office manager. Things commonly conveyed upward incorporate progress reports, proposals for new projects, spending evaluations, complaints and grievances, proposals for upgrades, and scheduling concerns. In some cases a downward communication prompts a response form a higher level in the hierarchical structure, for example, when an administrator requests a suggestion for a new part or to gauge when an unfinished project will be finished.

A significant objective of managers in organisations today is to energize unconstrained or wilful upward communication from employees without the need to ask first. A few organizations go as far as to organize competitions and give prizes to the most inventive and innovative solutions and recommendations. Before employees are able to provide innovative solutions however, they must be able to trust the management that it would now hijack or sabotage their contributions. A few associations have even introduced "informant" hotlines that will let representatives report perilous, unethical, or criminal operations namelessly to maintain a strategic distance from conceivable counter by higher-ups in the organization.

1. Horizontal Communication Flows:

Horizontal correspondence includes the trading of data across divisions at a similar level in an association (i.e., peer to peer communication). The reason for most horizontal communication is to co-ordinate events and activities and request assistance. Individuals at a similar level in the association can cooperate to deal with issues or issues in a informal and casual basis. The manager of the production division can work with the purchase administrator to quicken or postpone the shipment of materials. The fund supervisor and stock administrators can be circled in with the goal that the association can achieve the maximum profit by the coordination. Communication between two workers who report to the same supervisor is additionally a case of horizontal communication. A few issues with horizontal communication can emerge on the off chance that one manager is reluctant or unmotivated to share data, or considers endeavours to be work commonly as compromising his position (regional conduct). For a situation like that, the administrator at the next level of the hierarchy should convey downward to fortify the organization's value of co-operation.

2.              Diagonal Communication Flows:

Diagonal communication is the exchange of data among the various departments of the organisation. For instance, if the VP of sales sends an email to the VP of manufacturing asking when an item will be accessible for delivery, this is a case of horizontal communication. But if a sales representative communicates with the director of manufacturing, that would be an example of diagonal communication. At whatever point correspondence moves between different departments division, the sender's manager ought to be made a part of the loop. An administrator might be placed in a humiliating position and seem awkward in the event that he doesn't know about everything occurring in his department. Trust might be lost and careers harmed if key communication protocols are not followed properly.

3.              External Communication Flows:

Communication doesn't always begin and stop inside the association. External communication is the communication conducted outside of the association. For Example, the public relation departments with the help of senior management often deals with the image of the company in public eye. First-level and center level administration for the most part handle operational business interchanges, for example, buying, recruiting, and advertising. When communicating outside the association (paying little heed to the level), it is significant for representatives to carry on expertly and not to make commitments outside of their extent of power.

4. According to Means:

(i) Verbal Communication:

Verbal communication is the type of communication that includes the utilization of language and words to pass on the intended message. Verbal Communication implies communication though spoken form only. Be that as it may, with regards to forms of communication, verbal communication can be in the spoken or the written structure. Therefore, the verbal form of communication may contain oral as well as written communication as discussed below:

Verbal communication can be divided into 3 types:

• Interpersonal communication: This type of communication takes place between two individuals. It can be face-to-face, telephonic or written. The two individuals here will assume the role of sender and receiver in the communication process.
• Group communication: Here more than two people exchange information and ideas. Press conferences, social gatherings, board meeting, and group discussions are some examples of group communication.
• Public communication: In this type of communication, one individual addresses a large group of people. This is usually a one-way conversation except for questionnaires and feedback. Election speeches, presentations, public speeches are some examples of public communication.

(ii) Written Communication:

This sort of correspondence includes any sort of trade of data in the composed structure. For instance, messages, emails, letters, reports, SMS, posts via web-based networking media, records, handbooks, banners, flyers, and so on.

It gives the receiver sufficient time to think, act, and react. Written communication, in order to be effective should be clear, concise and complete. Moreover, it's time-consuming and expensive, and it cannot maintain secrecy, offers difficulty in explaining all matters, has no chance of clarification, is less flexible and not effective in emergency.

(iii) Gestural Communication/Non-verbal communication:

Nonverbal communication is the type of communication that is carried out without the use of words. Nonverbal communication is usually utilized as an aid to verbal communication. This type of communication employs gestures, body language, symbols and expressions. Nonverbal actions office set the tone of the conversation. Nonverbal communication is useful for expressing one’s mood, opinion or reaction.

Key takeaways –

1. Media is the means of transmitting the messages from sender to the receiver.
2. The oral means of internal communication are face-to-face discussion, verbal instruction, message, telephone, intercom, meeting, conference or seminar, speech, etc.
3. The written methods include notice, circular, memo, report, chart or graph, bulletin, e-mail, fax, etc.
4. Verbal communication is the type of communication that includes the utilization of language and words to pass on the intended message
5. Data moving from lower-level employees to elevated level representatives is upward communication

2.2 Verbal and Non-verbal communication

Verbal Communication:

Verbal communication is the type of communication that includes the utilization of language and words to pass on the intended message. Verbal Communication implies communication though spoken form only. Be that as it may, with regards to forms of communication, verbal communication can be in the spoken or the written structure. Therefore, the verbal form of communication may contain oral as well as written communication as discussed below:

Verbal communication can be divided into 3 types:

• Interpersonal communication: This type of communication takes place between two individuals. It can be face-to-face, telephonic or written. The two individuals here will assume the role of sender and receiver in the communication process.
• Group communication: Here more than two people exchange information and ideas. Press conferences, social gatherings, board meeting, and group discussions are some examples of group communication.
• Public communication: In this type of communication, one individual addresses a large group of people. This is usually a one-way conversation except for questionnaires and feedback. Election speeches, presentations, public speeches are some examples of public communication.

Non verbal communication

Communication may be verbal – by written or spoken symbols (usually words) or it may be non-verbal – without words. Non-verbal messages are sometimes more clear, accurate and effective as compared to verbal communication, because they are internationally used and understood.

Functions of non verbal communication

• To provide information either consciously or unconsciously.
•  To regulate the flow of conversation.
• To express emotion
• To qualify, complement, contradict or expand verbal message.
• To control or influence others.
• To facilitates specific tasks, such as teaching a person.

Type of non verbal communication

Non-verbal communication may be divided into the following three categories:

1. Appearance

Appearance affects the quality of written and spoken messages as follows:

1. Written Messages:

The envelope’s overall appearance may convey significant information and impressions such as size, colour, weight, postage and the letter’s overall appearance length stationary, enclosures, layout, etc.

B.    Spoken Messages:

Personal appearance such as speaker-clothing, jewelry, hair-style, neatness, etc. may tell about the age, sex occupation, nationality, social, economic and job status. On the same way, appearance of the surroundings room-size, location, furnishings, lighting, etc. may tell a lot about the message.

2. Body language

Facial expressions, gestures, posture, smell, touch, voice etc are included in body language.

1. Facial Expression:

The eyes and face may express the hidden emotions e.g. anger, fear, joy, love, surprise, sorrow, interest etc.

b.    Posture and Gestures:

Through actions the message can effectively be communicated. Actions are used by deaf people and traffic constables to convey message. In our daily life clenched fists may indicate anger, leaning forward to the speaker may reveal interest and repeatedly glancing at the watch may be a sign of being bored.

c.     Smell:

Good or bad smell often expresses the situation e.g. smell because of oil or gas leakage warns the danger. Similarly, fragrance and perfume convey emotions and feelings better than spoken or written words.

4.              Touch

Touching people in different ways can silently communicate friendship, love approval, anger or other feelings.

1. Silence:

Silence is an effective medium of expressing serious feelings and emotions e.g. death of relative or loss in business. A mistake may be admitted by silence. Silence may also confirm a statement.

b.    Time:

In many ways time communicates, e.g. waiting for a long time may indicate interest or love and giving a short notice means urgency.

c.     Sounds and Para-language:

The style of speaking and the volume of voice (Intonations and Modulations) may produce variations between what is said and what is meant, e.g. the words “how prompt you are” may criticize a person arriving too late.

Difference between verbal and nonverbal communication

Key takeaways –

1. The communication in which the sender uses words to transmit the message to the receiver is known as verbal communication.
2. The communication that takes place between sender and receiver with the use of signs is known as non-verbal communication.

2.3 Formal vs. Informal channels of communication

Formal communication

‘Formal Communication’ is the transmission of knowledge or directions in formal organisation structure. Formal communication maintains superior-subordinate relationship. When a manager directs his deputy manager to carry out some task, it's an instance of formal communication. Formal communication directs the workers in a definite manner to understand what the managers intend them to do and is usually codified and expressed in writing in manuals, handbooks, bulletins, annual reports, etc. So, it's rigid and thus lacks the quality of flexibility.

Advantages

1. Maintenance of authority of the officers – formal communication maintains constant relations between the superior and subordinates as a result it is easy to control subordinate and fix their responsibility.
2. Clear and effective communication – there is direct contact among the mangers and subordinates in formal communication. The manger knows when to provide information to the subordinate. Thus clear and effective communication helps in making information available timely.
3. Orderly flow of information –the flow of information is systematic as the information passes through a definite route from one person to another.
4. Easy knowledge of source of information – the source of information can be easily located in this type of communication.

Disadvantages

1. Overload of work – under formal communication many message and other things are communicated through a definite channel and this consume much time of the superior and thus other important work left unattended.
2. Distortion of information – under this channel the information has to pass through many hands and by the time it reaches the receiver it is distorted.
3. Indifferent officers – the officers do no pay much importance to the subordinate’s complaints.

INFORMAL CHANNEL

Along with formal communication in an organisation, there exists a secondary network of communication, which is referred as informal communication or grapevine.

The informal communication is called grapevine. Grapevine is the plant or creeper on which grapes grow. The grapevine may grow or move in any direction with the support of its tendrils. In the same way, informal communication can move in any direction with the support of informal groups.

Advantages of Grapevine

1. Quick Transmission: Informal communication such as rumors spread like wild fire. It moves faster than the formal communication. It does not take much time to spread informal messages.

2.     Feedback: Management should not discourage informal communication. This is because; such communication provides vital feedback to the management regarding the functioning of the organisation, including leadership styles of managers.

3.     Supplement to Formal Channels: Grapevine acts as a supplement to formal channels. When certain sensitive information cannot be transmitted through official channels, management may pass it on through the informal channels.

4.     Promotes Team Spirit: Informal communication may promote team spirit among the members of the organisation. Through informal communication, people come together as a cohesive team, which car positively affect the organisation.

5.     Informal Relations: The grapevine develops informal relations not only within a department but also among the various departments as people belonging to various departments get involved in the informal communication.

Limitations of Grapevine

1. Distortion: There is a great deal of distortion in informal communication. At times, there may not be a single grain of truth in informal communication.
2. Lacks Credibility: Informal communication lacks credibility. It cannot be relied upon by anyone in the organisation. This is because; one may not know the source of such information.
3. Lacks Responsibility: Informal communication lacks responsible. It is difficult to hold someone responsible for rumours or such other information.
4. Incomplete Information: The informal communication is usual incomplete in nature. Therefore, there is every possibility of being misunderstood or misinterpreted.
5. Affects Corporate Image: Informal communication such as rumours may spread quickly and spoil the name of the organisation, before the management takes remedial measures to rectify the situation.

Difference between formal communication and informal communication

Key takeaways

1. Formal communication channels are orderly and well-structured.
2. Informal communication channels are disorderly and may flow in any direction.

Reference-

1. Lesikar, R.V. & Flatley, M.E.; Basic Business Communication Skills for Empowering the
   Internet Generation, Tata McGraw Hill Publishing Company Ltd. New Delhi.
2. Bovee, and Thill, Business Communication Today, Pearson Education
3. Shirley Taylor, Communication for Business, Pearson Education
4. Locker and Kaczmarek, Business Communication: Building Critical Skills, TMH
5. Chhabra T.N, Effective Business Communication, Sun India Publications